Illustration for 'Aeneid' by I. Kotlyarevsky 1919

This illustration for the 'Aeneid' by I. Kotlyarevsky is by Heorhiy Narbut. Look at all those characters! It’s like they're bursting out of the frame, each with their own story to tell. I can imagine Narbut hunched over his work, carefully plotting each figure, layering colors to bring them to life. There’s a real sense of play in the details, like the patterns on their clothing, the way the light catches on their weapons, and the red boots! I mean, those boots are fabulous! Narbut’s got a real knack for capturing the humanity of his subjects, even amidst all the pomp and circumstance. He shares that with folk artists like Grandma Moses, who also find the extraordinary in the everyday. It is like he is saying that stories are alive, and artists keep them breathing, passing them on to us.